After 75 years, Ford dealership keeps rolling

Nov. 13, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Orange County Model T Ford Club members Barbara Moody and John Herd, left, listen as Bill Sawyer describes his 1957 Skyliner. He spent 18 years restoring the vehicle. They were on hand Tuesday to help McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton celebrate its 75th anniversary. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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An enthusiastic Henry Ford III, great-great-grandson of Henry Ford, was on hand Tuesday to help McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton celebrate its 75th anniversary. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Orange County Model T Ford Club brought vintage Fords on Tuesday to help McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton celebrate its 75th anniversary. At right is a 1915 Model T; at left is a 2013 Boss 302 Mustang. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Before 75th anniversary celebrations at McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton, dealership President Jim Miller directs parking of vintage Fords. The celebration "means a great deal to me. I'm proud to be following in my grandparent's footsteps," he said. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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McCoy Mills Ford started out in 1930 selling tires and tractors. It became a Ford franchisee in 1937 and Tuesday celebrated 75 years. The line of 1940 tractors is featured in this photo. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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As McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton celebrated its 75th anniversary on Tuesday, mechanic Cain Smith was servicing a Ford suspension system. He has been working for Ford for 25 years. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Orange County Model T Ford Club brought vintage Fords on Tuesday to help McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton celebrate its 75th anniversary. Browsing the collection are club members John Herd, Barbara Moody and Dan Diaz de Leon. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A cake displaying vintage photos was created to celebrate the 75th anniversary of McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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With a portrait of Henry Ford looming behind him, McCoy Mills Ford President Jim Miller reflects on being one of the oldest neighborhood vehicle dealerships in Orange County. "It means a great deal to me. I'm proud to be following in my grandparents' footsteps," he said. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Orange County Model T Ford Club members Barbara Moody and John Herd, left, listen as Bill Sawyer describes his 1957 Skyliner. He spent 18 years restoring the vehicle. They were on hand Tuesday to help McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton celebrate its 75th anniversary.JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

FULLERTON – As many neighborhood car dealerships have given way to massive auto malls near freeways, McCoy Mills Ford– with no freeway in sight of its showroom – has not only endured but excelled.

A descendant of company founder Henry Ford himself was on hand Tuesday to help the dealership celebrate 75 years in business.

Henry Ford III, the great-great grandson of the automotive pioneer, along with Ford executives from Detroit, feted the dealership and its president, Jim Miller, grandson of the dealership's co-founder, E.R. McCoy.

A row of Model T's, courtesy of the Orange County Model T Ford Club, and other vintage Fords lined the front of the Commonwealth Avenue showroom to mark the occasion.

"It is an honor for me to be here and be part of their history and heritage," said Ford III, 32, a marketing-development manager for Ford Motor Co. in Irvine. "Through the ups and downs that the auto industry has been through, the fact that these guys have been here so long is a testament to their customer service."

McCoy Mills has the hardware to back up those words.

Ford III was also on hand Tuesday to present Miller with a 2011 President's Award, making it one of 340 Ford dealerships out of 5,000 to receive the company's highest recognition of customer satisfaction. McCoy Mills has earned the award 14 times.

Of the dealership's 70 employees, 17 have served for a combined 452 years, said Miller, 60, who started as a used-car manager at the dealership in 1975.

A longtime Fullerton resident, Miller credits his dealership's success to community involvement and "good customer relations that start with me and go all the way down."

McCoy Mills has donated to the Boys & Girls Club and the All the Arts for All the Kids Foundation, a Fullerton nonprofit group that provides art and music instruction to Fullerton youth.

McCoy and brother-in-law Arlee Mills opened the doors of their tractor and tire business in 1930 on Commonwealth and Harbor Boulevard. The company became a Ford franchisee in 1937.

In 1950, a fire forced the dealership to move west along Commonwealth a few blocks to its present location.

The dealership is beginning to rebound from tough economic times, Miller said, and is averaging 450 new and 500 used-car sales annually – up 200 from the lean years.

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